I Rely On The Collapse Of The Character Setting To Survive In The Hands Of The Male Lead Chapter 197

Chapter 197

Chief Steward Ning jumped down from the roof with a gloomy expression and walked out of the Wenbo Pavilion in a straightforward manner.

Xu Wenze, who forcibly stopped the eunuchs outside the door, froze in place. However, upon seeing only Chief Steward Ning coming out, he immediately calmed down and said, “Is Chief Steward Ning disregarding the palace rules too much? He actually barged into the Wenbo Pavilion so arrogantly.”

Chief Steward Ning said darkly, “This servant discovered that an assassin had infiltrated the palace and fled to this vicinity. In order to ensure the safety of everyone, I hurriedly rushed over. But now it seems that I have disturbed everyone’s leisure. However, this is the imperial palace, so you all should be careful. Don’t blame this servant for not warning you. If any rumors arise, it will be a serious crime.”

Xu Wenze frowned slightly, cautiously refraining from responding, and only looked displeasedly at Chief Steward Ning.

Chief Steward Ning dismissed it as a filthy affair, sneered, waved his hand, and left with his men.

Xu Wenhe quickly closed the gate and hurried back. At that moment, he couldn’t think of a suitable solution and didn’t know how Chu Lishu and Lin Qingyang managed to dispel Chief Steward Ning’s suspicions.

As he approached Lin Qingyang’s door, preparing to push it open, Xu Wenze suddenly heard an unusual sound.

Because their door was originally closed lightly, it didn’t completely shut. In the quiet of the night, Xu Wenze could hear everything clearly, and his face turned red in an instant.

He suddenly realized how they had fooled Chief Steward Ning, no wonder Chief Steward Ning

‘s words sounded so strange.

But now that Chief Steward Ning has left, why is there still…? Is it because they don’t know it’s safe, or…

The panting and moaning of the two men intertwined, creating a strange atmosphere that made the listener, Xu Wenze, extremely uncomfortable. When he snapped out of his shock, he immediately turned around and fled.

Because the situation with Cao Wanying is still uncertain, Xu Wenze could only stay in Chu Lishu’s courtyard.

After waiting for a while, Cao Wanying emerged from the room first, her face filled with a mixture of fear and unease, as if she had been startled. Seeing Xu Wenze instead of Chu Lishu outside, she was even more surprised.

Cao Wanying still remembered what happened earlier. She had been with many people, discussing tonight’s events, when suddenly Jing Rouyin came to talk to her and invited her out. However, halfway through, Jing Rouyin had to leave urgently, leaving her feeling uneasy. Moreover, she noticed that there were some sinister-looking men looking for her.

Terrified, she felt disoriented both physically and mentally, and dared not linger in one place, only able to hide wherever she could.

Until she encountered Chu Lishu.

Cao Wanying felt like she had lost control, pleading for Chu Lishu’s help. At this moment, she was no longer the graceful and elegant young lady, nor did she have the willpower to maintain propriety. She was not an ignorant girl; she knew she had been victimized, and the prime suspect might be her best friend. The only person she could trust now was Chu Lishu. She believed Chu Lishu was a gentleman, liked by her grandfather, and surely he could help her.

But she never expected that as soon as she sensed Chu Lishu’s presence, her discomfort intensified. She even shamefully thought that if it were Chu Lishu, it wouldn’t be bad. But that was not her intention. She only had some affection for Chu Lishu; she couldn’t lose her reputation.

But she felt a rush of heat throughout her body, only sensing a coolness emanating from Chu Lishu’s body, which was very comforting. Unable to resist, she reached out and wrapped her arms around Chu Lishu’s body.

When she woke up, she was still here, her clothes not disheveled, and no one in the room. She didn’t know what exactly had happened and could only panic as she came out, only to see Xu Wenze.

“Young Master Xu? What are you doing here? Where is this place? I…”

Seeing Cao Wanying on the verge of tears, Xu Wenze quickly explained the situation, saying, “Right now, Lishu and Qingyang are both a bit busy, so they’re not here.”

Cao Wanying, with red eyes, fought back tears, relieved that nothing had happened and no one had found out. She breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time felt incredibly ashamed because she had to face her own feelings. She was willing to be with Chu Lishu.

But it seemed like Young Master Chu and Young Master Lin…

Just as they were thinking, footsteps approached. They turned to see Chu Lishu, with slightly disheveled hair, wearing slightly larger clothes, walking out of Lin Qingyang’s courtyard.

“Miss Cao is alright?” Chu Lishu asked as he approached.

Cao Wanying was taken aback. She had never seen Chu Lishu like this before, with a kind of uninhibited charm, especially the curve of his lips, carrying a sweet taste, as if a hungry person had just finished a meal.

“Thank you… thank you for coming to my rescue, Young Master Chu,” Cao Wanying hurriedly bowed.

“No need for excessive courtesy. You are Mr. Cao’s granddaughter and our fellow student. It’s only natural for us to help,” Chu Lishu replied politely yet distantly.

Cao Wanying, sensitive to nuances, felt that Chu Lishu was keeping his distance to avoid the awkwardness from before.

“What are your plans now, Miss Cao?” Chu Lishu inquired.

Cao Wanying felt a wave of desolation wash over her as she thought about the matter at hand, and she couldn’t help but cry. “I don’t know what to do… I… I was… I was victimized.”

“By Jing Rouyin?” Chu Lishu asked.

Cao Wanying looked at Chu Lishu in surprise, then nodded.

Xu Wenze was quite surprised as well. He asked Cao Wanying for more details, but she didn’t know why her close friend had suddenly changed like this.

Chu Lishu, considering Mr. Cao’s face, analyzed the situation for her. What he knew wasn’t from Lin Qingyang’s side but rather something he had immediately suspected upon seeing Cao Wanying in trouble. He concluded that only Jing Rouyin had both the motive and audacity to do such a thing.

Cao Wanying paled at the realization. “How could she be so ruthless? I didn’t want…”

“Can you press charges?” Xu Wenze furrowed his brow.

“It’s unlikely,” Chu Lishu replied calmly. “Setting aside tonight’s more significant events, this is just a minor incident. The crucial point is, there’s no evidence to prove it. Besides, if this gets out, it could damage Miss Cao’s reputation here. For now, her best course of action is to endure silently, avoid Jing Rouyin, and if you don’t want to be associated with the palace, find a reason to leave the capital.”

As for others’ right and wrong, he couldn’t care less. He considered this reminder sufficient. As for Jing Rouyin, given her interference tonight, Chu Lishu wouldn’t easily let her off either. Perhaps he wouldn’t need to take action himself; someone else might act first.

Cao Wanying wasn’t one to retaliate actively; she preferred to pretend that nothing had happened. As for tonight, it wasn’t suitable for her to stay here any longer. It would be best to send her to a place with other women, but she couldn’t return to where she was before.

So, Xu Wenze suggested taking her to Yue Chen’s place. There was a Little Sister Huo staying there, so spending the night there would be acceptable.

Chu Lishu nodded in agreement, so Xu Wenze took responsibility for escorting Cao Wanying there.

Cao Wanying naturally didn’t feel comfortable asking Chu Lishu to escort her. As she was about to leave, she knew that if her grandfather found out about what had happened, he would surely send her away. Leaving this time meant she didn’t know when she would see him again. She was normally a reserved woman, but as she took steps outside, her inner resolve crumbled in fear. Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks, unwilling to leave with regrets. She turned back and said, “Young Master Chu, may I trouble you for a moment? There’s something I need to discuss.”

Xu Wenze seemed to understand and gave a nod before stepping outside to wait.

Chu Lishu looked at Cao Wanying calmly and politely asked, “What is it, Miss Cao? Do you have any questions?”

Cao Wanying’s eyes flickered, about to speak, when she heard Chu Lishu say, “By the way, what piece did Miss Cao play at the banquet today? Is there sheet music available?”

Cao Wanying felt a bit embarrassed by the interruption but replied, “It’s the ‘Frosty Melody of the Immortal Rainbow.’ If you’re interested, I can find the sheet music for you.”

“Oh, I’m fine, but Qingyang really enjoyed it when he heard it today. I thought I’d find the sheet music so I could play it for him in the future,” Chu Lishu said, his smile blossoming like a flower.

Cao Wanying’s expression changed instantly, but she forced a smile and said, “Young Master Chu and Young Master Lin seem to have a good relationship, calling each other by name.”

Chu Lishu appeared somewhat embarrassed, rubbing the back of his neck, but the affection in his eyes was unmistakable to anyone looking at him.

As if she didn’t need to ask again, Cao Wanying already knew the answer. Her gaze dimmed instantly, and she bowed before leaving, not daring to look at Chu Lishu again for fear of revealing her feelings. It seemed that a relationship with Chu Lishu was out of the question for her.

【Ding, Side Quest: Assist the male lead in wooing Cao Wanying, failed. Deducted 100 points, account balance 185.】

Lin Qingyang suddenly woke up from the bed and sat up.

His expression was dazed for a while, unable to think about the mission at hand. Suddenly, his blank mind flashed with many inappropriate images, which were so shocking that they left Lin Qingyang dumbfounded.

The chaotic and infatuated panting, the dampened bodies, the intense sound of water, the merciless actions, and the extremely shameful positions—all of it was fake, a facade, a deception.

But afterward… afterward… Lin Qingyang instinctively lowered his head. He was already wearing a new undergarment, his hair was dried, as if nothing had happened at all. He had just slept on the bed.

But… but the sensation from his cousin’s body lingered, as if he could still feel being held captive, the heat from being pressed up against each other, sticky and close.

He remembered Chu Lishu’s hands, which were slender and delicate, but at some point, they seemed to become huge and powerful, capable of enveloping everything.

He also remembered Chu Lishu’s breath, almost sticking to his ear, disturbing his own breathing.

In the last moment, when the white light flashed, he actually had his eyes slightly open. That scene, he thought, would be unforgettable for him forever.

Chu Lishu’s skin was no longer cold and pale but had a warm, ivory hue. His long black hair, wet and glossy like satin ink, cascaded down his back, with a few strands occasionally curling in front, causing water droplets to slide down. The thin layer of muscle on his body highlighted the most prominent contours, his slender neck raised, collarbones protruding, the sexy Adam’s apple moving up and down, his chest heaving incessantly. The overwhelming male pheromones seemed to transform into an invisible force, impacting Lin Qingyang’s soul.

His exquisite features exuded allure, his expression captivating, his obsidian-like eyes shining brightly in the night like a galaxy. In the blink of an eye, they turned into hooks, capturing all of Lin Qingyang’s senses. Hidden within were naked desires of consumption and domination, chilling and intimidating.

Especially when Chu Lishu slightly opened his mouth, inadvertently revealing his gleaming white teeth, and slowly approached him, as if he would bite his neck the next moment.

That kind of momentum didn’t seem like a signal of ending…

Lin Qingyang dared not think too much, dared not face it, and fainted directly from shame.

And now, as Lin Qingyang gradually remembered, his first reaction was to move his body, to feel if there was any strange sensation where he was sitting.

After realizing there was nothing unusual, he breathed a sigh of relief.

But when he remembered what he had just done, he felt extremely embarrassed again. What was he even thinking! How could that… Lin Qingyang collapsed onto the bed, desperately hitting his pillow. Silently, he screamed in his mind, “Forget it! Forget everything, my brain.”

Suddenly, the sound of the door opening echoed from the entrance, accompanied by footsteps. Lin Qingyang instantly panicked, pulling the blanket over himself like a startled little animal.

Such actions naturally didn’t escape Chu Lishu’s eyes.

Suddenly, footsteps halted, followed by a faint chuckle.

Lin Qingyang snapped out of his stupor, instantly realizing how foolish his behavior was. Just as he was unsure of how to salvage the situation, footsteps hurriedly approached. The next moment, he and the blanket were both enveloped in a tight embrace.

This not only startled Lin Qingyang but also left him thoroughly frightened.

Chu Lishu, he…. what’s the meaning of this?

“Cousin, are you feeling shy? I never expected you, who used to revel in prostitution places, to be like this…” Innocent and cute, Chu Lishu’s heart softened.

Lin Qingyang, trying to salvage the man’s pride, pulled back the blanket and saw Chu Lishu sitting on the bed, wearing his clothes and smiling at him.

“Why… why are you wearing my clothes?” Lin Qingyang’s head was spinning.

“You forgot, Miss Cao was in my room. I couldn’t go back wet to change clothes, so I had to wear yours first.”

Lin Qingyang gritted his teeth, feeling that his question was too trivial. He should ask the most important one.

“What… what were you doing before? Even if you wanted to deceive Chief Steward Ning, what about afterwards…? We’re both men, you…” Lin Qingyang felt himself stumbling over his words.

Chu Lishu felt puzzled. Why did Lin Qingyang seem to be angry?

Could it be… because he was pressing on him, and the positions were different from what he imagined, so he was unhappy?

“Don’t you like men, Cousin?” Chu Lishu asked back.

“Well…” Lin Qingyang almost said no, but quickly said, “But you don’t, right? You’re not… you’re not…”

Chu Lishu’s eyes flickered slightly. “What I mean is, since Cousin can accept men, there’s no need to resist tonight’s events so much. We just helped each other out in an unconventional situation, that’s all. We’re both men, can’t Cousin understand? In such situations, you can really get an illness if you hold back.”

Lin Qingyang’s memories of friendship between boys were still in his childhood, and later he had been in the hospital all the time, so he had no idea what “helping each other out in an unconventional situation” meant. Or maybe people in ancient times weren’t so reserved about it? Anyway, he felt something was off.

Chu Lishu looked at Lin Qingyang’s resistant expression with some annoyance. “Moreover, it was Cousin who reacted first. I didn’t even blame Cousin  for getting distracted at that critical moment and affecting me. Why is Cousin blaming me now?”

Lin Qingyang felt like he was about to faint again, his face flushing red. He wanted to argue back, but didn’t know how to begin.

Should he explain that he was the first to feel the stick behind him? But he was lying face down at the time, so he couldn’t explain his situation.

Arriving at this point, the situation had become indescribable. Was it in Chu Lishu’s perception that he reacted first, and then it affected him in return? This… in Chu Lishu’s eyes, he was considered to be homosexual, and they had a history of misdeeds together, so Chu Lishu’s thoughts seemed somewhat reasonable.

Lin Qingyang couldn’t help but curse his cousin. How could he be so spineless!

“Even if it’s… you shouldn’t… do that! We can handle it ourselves. Don’t you feel disgusted by doing that?” Lin Qingyang held back his shame, feeling an impulse to ask for clarification.

Suddenly, Chu Lishu coughed awkwardly and then lowered his head somewhat dejectedly. “Okay, Cousin, I’ll be honest. Initially, it was indeed acting for Chief Steward Ning’s sake, but then I blamed my lack of experience for losing control. I got carried away and… indulged myself too much. It was the first time I encountered such a situation, and my mind went blank. I didn’t think much about anything else; I just focused on feeling comfortable. I also felt very embarrassed, so I tried to play it cool just now, hoping to downplay the situation. I’m sorry, Cousin. If you feel offended, you can hit me.”

Chu Lishu’s sudden honesty threw Lin Qingyang off balance. If… if he put it that way, it seemed like… there really wasn’t much to pursue. After all, in the heat of the moment, who could guarantee they wouldn’t act strangely?

After Chu Lishu finished speaking, he looked up with a embarrassed and remorseful expression. “Cousin, please don’t be angry. It’s all my fault. I really lacked experience, and I didn’t expect things to turn out like this. Can you forgive me?”

Seeing Chu Lishu looking so pitiful, with tears welling up in his eyes, Lin Qingyang found himself completely defenseless and immediately waved the white flag.

He even deeply reflected on himself, hypnotized himself, and concluded that such an embarrassing incident wasn’t something Chu Lishu had wanted. He was just an inexperienced straight guy who acted out of panic and desire. Adults should just pretend it never happened. Why make things awkward by digging into it? It was his own stupidity for not realizing it sooner. And compared to Chu Lishu’s candidness, maybe he was the one with impure thoughts, exaggerating Chu Lishu’s reactions in his mind. He felt ashamed of himself.

“Cough, cough, you’re right. It was just an accident, nothing more. For men, it’s all normal, we all understand, hehehe, no big deal, no big deal.”

Chu Lishu showed a relieved and grateful expression, sincerely saying, “Thank you, Cousin. But… Cousin, I’m a bit worried about you.”

“Huh?” Lin Qingyang couldn’t quite catch up.

“You… fainting after just one time, maybe you’ve been holding back too much in normal times. It’s important to release the tension appropriately,” Chu Lishu asked with concern, “Could it be that you can’t fully indulge yourself alone? If you need help…”

Lin Qingyang felt even more embarrassed, not sure what Chu Lishu meant by bringing this up. His face was burning, shaking his head, “No… I’m fine.”

Chu Lishu gave a faint smile, no longer pressing the matter, and began to discuss serious matters, diverting Lin Qingyang’s attention. Although their relationship couldn’t be confirmed, occasional benefits weren’t bad either, and Qingyang probably felt pleased about it too.

Chu Lishu could guess Lin Qingyang’s thoughts, probably suspecting that he had developed feelings for him. Several attempts to probe were met with retreat, likely out of fear of scaring him off. Chu Lishu felt both heartache and pity; his beloved was really smitten with him. Chu Lishu wasn’t interested in enjoying Lin Qingyang’s secret admiration; he was just stubbornly determined to protect him.

But it seemed he needed to quicken his pace to complete everything and ensure safety, or else he’d suffocate himself first.

As Lin Qingyang listened to the serious matters, his mind was still in turmoil, especially when he suddenly thought, why was Chu Lishu so proficient from start to finish? Those movements and techniques didn’t seem like a first-timer’s; instead, they felt like those of an experienced hand. Wasn’t the male lead inexperienced? How did he become so skilled? It was almost as if he was as proficient as in the several dreams he had.

But as he thought about it, it made sense too. The male lead in harem novels naturally had extraordinary talents, self-taught and self-made. It was embarrassing that the male lead’s first manual experience ended up being with him. The first time they helped each other out in a conscious state, he guessed he wouldn’t sleep well for some time.

What a torture!

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